Federal Officials Investigate Near Miss Between Air France and American Airlines Jets at LAX

Federal aviation officials have launched an investigation into a near-miss incident involving an Air France flight and an American Airlines flight near Los Angeles International Airport. The close call occurred early Saturday morning at approximately 12:20 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The incident began when Air France Flight 28, an Airbus A350 headed for Tahiti, departed from the airport and made an unauthorized turn into the flight path of another aircraft. Flight-tracking and aviation reporting sites noted that the plane veered off its assigned standard instrument departure route instead of following the proper guidance.

The unauthorized maneuver placed the widebody jet directly in the path of American Airlines Flight 1660, an Airbus A321 bound for Dallas/Fort Worth, which had just taken off from a parallel runway. Quick-thinking air traffic controllers quickly spotted the brewing hazard and issued urgent corrective instructions to both crews to avert a disaster.

Audio recordings from air traffic control capture a controller instructing the Air France crew to fly a specific heading immediately, noting they had strayed from their instructions. Simultaneously, controllers directed the American Airlines flight to adjust its altitude and warned the pilots of nearby traffic. Flight tracking data indicated the two passenger jets came within hundreds of feet of each other vertically and laterally at their closest points.

After the aircraft successfully separated, both flights continued safely to their intended destinations with no reported injuries or damage. Air traffic controllers subsequently questioned the Air France pilots repeatedly regarding why they deviated from their departure path, though a clear explanation was not immediately provided.

Aviation authorities have classified the episode as a possible pilot deviation, which occurs when a flight crew fails to follow air traffic control instructions. Thomas Anthony, director of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program, noted that voice, radar, and other recordings will be thoroughly reviewed to determine what went wrong during the departure sequence.

While the exact cause remains unclear, industry observers and reports point out that similar unauthorized left turns have occasionally occurred on departures from the airport. Federal authorities will continue examining flight recorder data and communication tapes to help prevent similar safety incidents in the future.